Automatic train-stopping device.



B. H. HUGHES & H. T. JONES.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATlON FILED MAR. 13. m5.

1, 178,448. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WIT/M8858: 7 grams/7 J U 65. Z. 21/07 765,

A min/m THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 520-, WASHINGTON. D. c.

I B. H. HUGHES & H. T. JONES.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I3. I915.

1,178,448. Y Patented Apr. 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIVI/E/VTORS BHHz gq/ma J0 65.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20.. WASHINGTON, ll 5;.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEN I-I. HUGHES AND HARRY T. JONES, OF; SEWARD, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOPPING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BEN H. Hucnns and HARRY T. JONES, citizens of the United States, residing at Seward, in the county of Seward and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Stopping Devices; and

we do declare the following to be a full,v clear, and exact description of the invention,

rest the travel of the locomotive and its train.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means, which may beoperable from a distant point, for actuating the stopping mechanism.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of' which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a side elevation of a locomotive equipped with our improved stopping device, showing the device in normal condi- 'tion and illustrating the ground member for actuating the same. Fig. II is a similar view, showing the stopping device actuated to affect the flow of fluid from the locomotive. Fig. III is a front view of a locomotive equipped with our improvements. Fig. IV is an enlarged longitudinal section of the valve, showing the latter in normal condition. I Fig. V is a view of the same parts in active position.

Referring more in detail to the draw ings:1 designates a locomotive of any ordinary type, 2 the rails and 8 a shoe which is pivotally mounted at one end in a bracket 4: and is adapted for support at its free end in a chair 5; the said free end being connected with a link 6 and the link being connected with a push rod 7 which may be operated from a distant point to raise the shoe 3 into the path of a contact member on the valve mechanism hereinafter described; the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4., 191

Application filed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 14,050.

upper edge of the shoe being curved'in order to provide an easy abutting face for the from an. air supply (not shown) on the 10+.

comotive.

Interposed, in the air-line 9 is a cylinder 11, which is provided with apertures 12 for receiving the. ends of the pipe sections of the air line, as illustrated in Fig. IV, so that both sections open to the interior of the cylinder; the upper end of the cylinder beingclosed but pr'ovidedwith an aperturela within which a rod 15 is slidably mounted, a stufling box 16 being arranged at the outer end of the cylinder within which the rod is also adapted for travel. Slidably mounted within the cylinder and fixed to the rod 15 is a valve 17 the lower end of which is adapted to seat on a head 18 that is thread-.

ed onto the open lower end of the cylinder,

I and extendingthrough the valve is a channel 19 which is so arranged that when the valve is seated on the cylinder head, the channel 19 registers with the channels of the sections of the pipe line 9 to provide a A free passage of fluid from one side of the valve to the other.

The valve 17 is provided with a relief 1 channel 20 which opens through the endof the valve into an outlet or exhaust pipe '21, and the upper end of the channel 20 is turned laterally and has a branch 22 which opens through the side of the valve in such position that when the valve is in relief po-- sition, that is, with the top of the valve in contact with the closed end of the cylinder,

the mouth of the branch 22 will register with the train end of the air-line section so i the valve to relief position; it being apparent that with the spring unrestrained it will automatically retain the valve in such position that the brakes are relieved from the pressure of air.

In order to retain the valve in functional position, that is, to maintain an open line from the air supply to the train, we provide a keeper member comprising a bar 27 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 28 that is carried on the locomotive and has anarm 29 at its upper end thatis adapted to overlie the rod loto hold the latter depressed against the tension of its spring; the opposite arm 30 of said keeper being provided with an anti-friction roller 31 at such height above the track as to miss the shoe when the latter is in normal position but to engage said shoe when the latter is raised in order to pivot the keeper and remove the arm 29 from engagement with the valve rod.

In order to steady the keeper and yield ingly retain the same in functional position,

we provide opposed springs 33 having their outer ends anchored in brackets 34: and their inner ends connected with opposite edges of the keeper 27, so that they balance each other and retain the keeper in neutral position wherein the arm 29 overlies the valve rod.

In use, presuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as described, the valve is depressed against the tension of the spring Bl so that connection established between the opposite sections of the main line 9 and the keeper member is thrown in neutral position wherein the arm 29 overlies the valve rod and holds the same depressed against the tension of the spring l-it. With the parts in this position, the air may be used in the ordinary manner. Should a tower keeper or other proper person wish to stop the locon'uitive from the ground he operates the rod T to lift the shoe 3 into the path of the anti-frictnm roller on the keeper member, so that when the roller contracts the shoe the keeper is moved on its pivotal mounting to remove the arm 29 from over the valve rod. hen the keeper is so actuated, the spring 24: lifts the slide valve to break the connection between the pipe line sections and shut off the low from the supply to the air ln'akcs. llhen the slide "alve moves under tension of the spring, the air is first shut oil from the supply and then the bleeding channel is thrown into communication with the trained section of the airline, so that air may be relieved therefrom and exhaust, thereby allowing the brakes to set in the usual manner and causing the train to stop. After the train is stopped the air-line may be reestablished by depressing the slide valve and resetting the keeper arm. "While we have described our invention as applied to the air-line, it is apparent that it may be used with a steam line or with both the steam and air line, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. The combination with a fluid pressure medium conduit, of a cylinder interposed in said conduit, a slide valve in said cylinder having a cross channel for establishing communication between the conduit sections and having a relief channel adapted for communication with one of said sections,a rod on said valve projecting to the exterior of the cylinder, a spring for yieldingly urging the valve to relief position, and a keeper for overlying the rod to retain the valve in position for establishing communication between the conduit sections.

2. The combination with a locomotive, of a fluid pressure medium conduit, a cylinder interposed in saidconduit, a slide valve in said cylinder having a conduit for establishing communication between the conduit sections and having a relief channel adapted for communication with one of the sections, a rod on said valve, a spring connected with said rod whereby the valve is normally urged to relief position, a. bar pivotally mounted on the locomotive and having an arm for overlying the valve rod to retain the valve in position for maintaining communication between the conduit sections, and a ground shoe for engaging the bar to rock the same, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a locomotive, of

a fluid pressure medium conduit, a. cylinder interposed in said conduit, a slide valve in said cylinder having a conduit for establishing communication between the conduit sec tions and having a relief channel adapted for communication with one of the sections, arod on said valve, a spring connected with said rod whereby the valve is normally urged to relief position, a bar pivotally mounted on the locomotive and having an arm for overlying the valve rod to retain the valve in position for maintaining communication between the conduit sections, a ground shoe for engaging the bar to rock the same, and balance springs connected with said bar and with the locomotive to yieldingly retain the bar in functional position.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

BEN H. HUGHES. HARRY T. JONES. Witnesses:

S. C. STONER, Manna Gnnsnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent:, Washington, D. D." 

